


Behind The Curtain (Waits A Darker World)

by etoilecourageuse



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Battle of Hogwarts, Dungeon, F/F, Fear, Hurt/Comfort, Second War with Voldemort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 11:02:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8399245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etoilecourageuse/pseuds/etoilecourageuse
Summary: Even in times of war, Daphne is not granted the privilege to admit that she is afraid, not even to her only confidante.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flipflop_diva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipflop_diva/gifts).



> Dearest flipflop_diva, I really, really hope that you like this! It was my pleasure writing for you - trying out Daphne/Pansy was a lot of fun, and hopefully this piece can live up to your expectations! <3

She was afraid. Certainly she would never dare, would never be granted the privilege to admit her true emotions, whether to herself or to anyone, and yet… Yet there was no denying that she was afraid, more than words would ever be able to express.

Daphne Greengrass was afraid, perhaps for the first time within her life. 

To be locked into the dungeons, to spend minute by minute, hour by hour worrying, worrying so beyond belief, to be helpless, to find her hands tied behind her back in a way that… Of course she was afraid, felt nauseous even at the mere thought of the war raging outside, so close to her, and yet so far. The war, the destruction… And the despair, such despair, so many tears she had only shed in secret, such endless… Of course she was afraid and it would nearly break her apart, as she was incapable of denying any longer what she had denied for one year. One year that had felt like an eternity… 

They were supposed to fight. Daphne knew that they all were supposed to fight, that she, too, was supposed to find herself on the battlefield beside her family, beside her friends… But how? How could she, if she was so afraid, how could she if she was trapped within the dungeons through magic, magic that would do anything to prevent her from fulfilling her duty? How… How could she do anything, anything at all? 

She had watched Pansy attempt to break the spells, all to no avail, had been implored by her to help, to find a way to escape, but Daphne had seemed paralysed, had done nothing but stare blankly into these beautiful dark eyes, glistening with the fierce determination that she lacked, that had been pulled from her in the moment the heavy stone walls had enclosed themselves about the Slytherin common room and given place to nothing but worry. 

Would she ever see them again? Would she ever see her family again, would the world still be the same after morning had broken? Would… 

Too many had fallen. Too many had lost their lives already, too many had been imprisoned and left to the Dementors… Too many had been lost, lost forever. Too many… Would they be lost, too? Would she, would Pansy, be lost, too? 

She was afraid. Daphne was afraid, so afraid of the future that no longer seemed to be a future, so afraid of what was to come, as how could she not be? It would be foolish not to be afraid, foolish to assume that they would emerge from this night, this war, victorious, foolish to assume that everything would be all right, and to close her eyes to the truth. How could she not be afraid? 

The fear felt so heavy upon her shoulders, so heavy that at times it seemed to crush her. But whom could she possibly talk to? Whom could she possibly confine herself to, in these moments of despair, these moments of unspeakable weakness? Strong… She was supposed to remain strong, strong for those who were to fight, truly, for those who… She was supposed to remain strong. 

Even Pansy. Even Pansy, who had grown to be her only confidante, her best friend and so much more than merely a friend, would do nothing but glare at her in the moments she realised, silencing her immediately before she even had a chance to speak. Even Pansy seemed so cold at times, as she noticed, would push her away and rise to return to her own bed, as though nothing had happened, as though they… Even Pansy seemed incapable of understanding her. 

But now? Now, so suddenly the fire had left her eyes. Now her expression had become empty, showing only the faintest hint of surrender. She was biting her lip as she would always when focused on something, seemed to be listening, listening so carefully… But it was impossible. Of course it was impossible to hear anything but their classmates’ quiet whispers as they were so despairingly attempting to break the suppressing silence; of course it was impossible to hear the battle from their prison. 

Prison… As though the dungeons had ever been a prison. Hadn’t they always loved their common room? Hadn’t they always loved spending countless nights by the fire, holding hands after they had ensured that they would not be discovered? Hadn’t they always loved…? Not now. Not now, when they longed for nothing more than to escape, not now when for the first time in seven years the dungeons did not seem like home at all. 

“Pansy…” Daphne murmured, slowly reaching out her hand to touch her wrist, tenderly caressing her delicate skin. “It’s all right to be afraid.”

 _It’s all right to be afraid._ How desperately she had waited for the words she had now spoken out herself, how desperately she had longed for comfort instead of the pure resentment so many of those she had once considered her friends had met her with in the past few months. 

Pansy would not respond; she merely scoffed in dismay and almost laughed, one of her cruel, cold laughs that would always cause Daphne to shiver. Of course she would never admit the obvious, because weren’t they so similar, in both their actions and emotions? But Pansy had always been stronger; she had always scolded Daphne for her weakness, sometimes gently and sometimes in a way that frightened her. She had always been stronger, so much stronger than anyone else… 

It was strange to see her in a state like this, to find her so weary after her outburst, growing more and more apathetic with every minute of the battle passing. It was so strange… 

Daphne gave a quiet sigh, nearly instinctively tightening her grip about Pansy’s wrist, surprised to find that she allowed it to happen. What else could she possibly say? What could they possibly speak about when everything seemed so irrelevant, so trivial, when the walls seemed to be shaking? What could they possibly speak about, pretending to be interested in anything but the events outside, their families’ safety? What could they… 

But perhaps… Perhaps there was no need to speak. Perhaps they needn’t exchange words after all… Slowly, Daphne released Pansy’s hand, only to wrap her arms about her waist only a moment later, slowly pulling her into her arms… Their lips met at last, causing them to melt together as one, and for the first time she did not care whether or not they were to be seen, for the first time she did not care about how she might be perceived… She only cared about her. She only cared about Pansy, and finally… Finally, she began to realise… 

Together they would be strong. Together, they would get through the night and face whatever was to expect them as soon as dawn broke. Together, they would no longer be afraid.


End file.
